WeedLife News Network

Although cannabis has made legal strides in 33 states and is considered acceptable by the majority of American adults, there is comparatively little research being done on its usage and efficacy. We still have very little information about what’s safe, what’s not safe, and what’s safe for how long; we just support how it makes us feel. Even though the federal government still believes cannabis is a dangerous drug, over half of the United States allows its usage for a range of medical problems. Research, however, is lagging way behind demand. 

Higher Learning

Understanding the need for more research, Veriheal, a medical marijuana telemedicine platform, announced their 2020 cannabis research scholarship, through which they plan to spread out $10,000 between ten students who are currently enrolled in any institutions of higher learning. In an effort to encourage students of color into this lucrative industry, Josh Green and Sam Adetunji want to share their experiences and skills that they’ve developed since they launched Veriheal in 2017. The cannabis scholarship July’s deadline is quickly approaching. Apply here. 

About The Scholarship

Veriheal values education and wants to help students in need, especially students of color. Co-founders and co-owners, Josh Green, a Florida A&M University alum, and Sam Adetunji, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, both understand the value of concentrated learning and want to be a part of the effort to bring the focus back to the plant. Josh Green believes that cold, hard science will help destigmatize the plant. 

“My hope is that everyone can try cannabis for themselves as medicine, free from persecution or misinformation. Cannabis is a plant that helps heal people, and should not be viewed as a drug that damages people,” he tells High Times. “There’s so much potential with mixing science and medicine for cannabis that we can perhaps find so many natural remedies for healthier living. We have to remove the stigma so that everyone can freely have safe access.” 

Unlike other tech brands, Veriheal has never had the luxury of venture capital investors, and the co-founders did not rely on generational wealth in funding their education and their dreams of ownership. Their community of family, friends, mentors, and clients have allowed them to study, graduate, and start their businesses. In this same ‘pay it forward’ effort, Veriheal is proud to offer some financial help to students and their families in the form of scholarships and mentorship. Winners will be selected from applicants who show the best overall combination of knowledge and passion for sustainability, community, awareness, and innovation for the cannabis plant.

Few researchers have explored the benefits of microdosing cannabis until now.

Microdosing marijuana offers pain patients an alternative method to reduce symptoms without receiving the plant’s psychoactive components, a new Israeli study found. The clinical trial offers some of the first scientific insights into the efficacy of microdosing marijuana and could represent a new relief for patients who don’t like or aren’t suited for the traditional “high” associated with cannabis.

You probably recognize the term microdosing for its association with psychedelics, particularly in microdosing psilocybin mushrooms or LSD. A microdose is generally considered a subtherapeutic uptake of a drug. Put more plainly, it’s when you use a drug but don’t experience the mind-altering sensation.

Though the trend received serious attention in Silicon Valley communities, scientific research doesn’t support the anecdotal claims made by those microdosing psychedelics. But few researchers have explored the benefits of microdosing cannabis until now.

Traditionally, pain patients establish their own medical cannabis doses through a faulty trial-and-error process. No traditional dose of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, exists. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) actually requested help from the scientific community to standardize a unit dose of THC earlier this year.

An issue that has constantly plagued athletes, regular gym-goers or even normal folks is the problem of pain and inflammation associated with muscle recovery. When the muscle is really exercised during workout sessions or pushed to the limit during regular sports activity or daily routine tasks, a lot of tension and ache around the area being stressed occurs which results in inflammation that causes soreness and pain. The inflammation and soreness are the body’s mechanism of initiating and promoting healing around the affected region.

To avoid muscle damage, reduce the pain, and manage the excess inflammation, numerous means have been used over time ranging from the use of ice baths to the use of analgesics such as NSAIDs and opioids. The goal of such modes of treatment however can also be achieved with cannabis or CBD to be more precise. Cannabis has long been posited to be of immense benefits medicinally and one of such ways with promise is the use of CBD to assist muscle recovery.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is present in the cannabis plant alongside numerous numbers of other cannabinoids. CBD is special among the cannabinoids present in cannabis because it interacts with the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors without psychoactive effects in the endocannabinoid system. CBD has been incorporated into oils and lotions by producers in the industry which has seen it being applied by numerous therapists for relief of pain and to manage inflammation.

It has also been shown that CBD might have the potential to play a significant role in dealing with the edema, hyperalgesia and numerous other medical  conditions. Extensive works of research are still ongoing to fully ascertain just how much of an impact the use of CBD can have in dealing with these health conditions.

A landmark court hearing is set to decide whether the NHS should cover the cost of a patient’s cannabis medicine.

Charlotte Caldwell, whose son Billy relies upon medicinal cannabis to keep him alive, has a landmark court hearing in Belfast Crown Court on September 7, 2020 to decide whether the NHS will cover the cost of his cannabis medication. This case could have groundbreaking implications for Billy and other UK patients who rely on medicinal cannabis.

Billy, who suffers from severe childhood epilepsy, helped change the laws concerning medicinal cannabis two years ago after a successful media campaign. However, since medicinal cannabis was downgraded to allow for it to be prescribed, Billy’s original NHS prescription was withdrawn. The result was that Billy can now only get his medicine privately.

A life changing court case

Before gaining access to medicinal cannabis four years ago Billy suffered hundreds of attacks throughout the day and night.

“I was told by doctors that we had exhausted all options. My heart was shattered. I remember lying in bed holding a drugged up Billy counting his seizures in an attempt to stay awake,” recalls Charlotte. “Billy would be turning blue and suffocating. I was holding him, not knowing if I fell asleep whether he would still be alive the next day.”

New Jersey medical cannabis companies are developing delivery plans in order to better serve their customers who can’t easily get to dispensaries themselves as the state gears up for the next phase in medical legalization. 

Home delivery legalization in New Jersey dates back to before the COVID-19 pandemic made progressive changes to cannabis business necessary. Jake Honig’s law, passed last summer after requests by medical marijuana patients in the state, expanded access to cannabis patients, raised purchase limits, and legalized delivery so that sick patients wouldn’t have to wait in line when they need medicine.

Currently, of the nine medical cannabis companies in the state that are active and in business, four are planning to begin delivering cannabis. Those four companies are waiting to hear back from the Department of Health on whether or not their plans are approved. Many of the companies hoping to develop a legal cannabis business are excited about the range of how far they can deliver and the prospects of the new venture. 

“We are, as a group, allowed to deliver anywhere in the state that you have a registered patient,” said Devra Karlebach, CEO of GTI cannabis company. “A lot of it will depend on the demand as well.”

However, some dispensaries are opting not to try and get approved at this time, claiming the program may not really be worth it due to all the current setbacks. 

After months of controversy, scientists are settling on the idea that the anti-inflammatory properties of major cannabinoids can be used to treat Covid-19.

One of the most promising statistics related to the coronavirus pandemic is that the number of deaths is decreasing, which is due in large part to a better understanding of how to treat the illness at its various stages.

Recent reports indicate that an infected host undergoes a cytokine explosion, a burst of immune-system proteins that cause a host of inflammatory symptoms in the lungs. In severe cases, this immune response can be so potent that it can become deadly to its host.

Major cannabinoids THC and CBD have been identified for their anti-inflammatory properties in the past, but doubt had been cast on their ability to treat the disease due to concerns of increased viral loads.

However, a new study from researchers at the University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute is further solidifying cannabis as a strong treatment option, and in particular its mom-marketed derivative CBD.

State Regulators in Ohio voted on Wednesday to reject petitions that would have added autism and anxiety as conditions that qualify a patient to use medical marijuana. The Ohio State Medical Board voted to approve, however, a request to add patients diagnosed with a chronic wasting syndrome known as cachexia to the state’s medicinal cannabis program.

Wednesday’s votes are consistent with the recommendations of a medical board committee issued last month. The board also voted not to include autism and anxiety when they first considered petitions to add the conditions to the state program last year.

The board received a total of 136 public comments on the proposals to include the three conditions, including requests to reject the addition of anxiety and autism submitted by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, and the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association.

“The inclusion of autism and anxiety as conditions has the potential to negatively impact the health and well being of thousands of children in Ohio,” wrote Sarah Kincaid of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. “There is little rigorous evidence that marijuana or its derivatives is of benefit for patients with autism and anxiety, but there is a substantial association between cannabis use and the onset or worsening of several psychiatric conditions.”

Carrie Taylor, an Ohio mom who has twin sons with autism, was disappointed last year when the medical board rejected the petition to add the condition to the state’s medical marijuana program. She has since redirected her efforts to the legalization of recreational cannabis in Ohio, saying she does not believe the board will ever add autism.

CBD anti-inflammatory properties and mental health treatment capabilities demand further investigation for coronavirus patients, according to a new study.

As researchers and doctors rush to understand the novel coronavirus, sometimes new evidence contradicts old claims. Cannabis represents a main topic where scientists have spun 180 degrees in discussing how the plant interacts with COVID-19. Public health officials announced back in March that marijuana smokers and vapers were more at risk to contract and spread the coronavirus.

Lung health experts still don’t recommend inhaling any combustible material like tobacco or marijuana, due to the inflammation caused in your airways. However, cannabis has emerged as an unlikely candidate in preventing and treating COVID-19 symptoms.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute now believe CBD could reduce the lethal lung inflammation caused by COVID-19. In a peer-reviewed article published in this month’s issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the researchers called for more studies into cannabinoids for their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory capabilities to combat the coronavirus.

“Acute infection is associated with a cytokine superstorm, which contributes to the symptoms of fever, cough, muscle pain,” researchers wrote. In severe cases, lung inflammation could lead to pneumonia, making it difficult to breathe for patients who already have weakened immune systems.

Telehealth services that were made available to Florida’s medical marijuana patients due to the coronavirus pandemic may become a permanent option. 

That’s according to the web publication Florida Politics, which reported this week that the temporary provision first established at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak—and then extended in May—might become a fixture in the state’s medical cannabis program.

The state’s Department of Health unveiled emergency rules back in March that allowed licensed physicians in Florida to see their patients and issue prescriptions remotely. The state’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis extended telehealth services for medical marijuana patients another 60 days in May. Now, with the provision set to expire this week—and the coronavirus experiencing a resurgence in states such as Florida—some advocates think it needs to be extended indefinitely.

“It’s excellent for the patients, convenience-wise, safety-wise and in a lot of other ways,” Barry Gordon,  a former physician in Ohio who now owns a cannabis clinic in Venice, Florida, told Florida Politics. “The majority of the patients can find that they can integrate it into their lifestyle in an appropriate way and don’t need a lot of further medical advice.”

Gordon continued: “Those types of things are easily done in a [telehealth] consultation. I like to call it being a 2020 doctor and not adopting a 1980 philosophy. We don’t know how long this COVID-19 crisis is going to last…. . It just makes sense. It’s a different society now.”

Sleep is easily disrupted by the state of our mental health. That being the case, it makes sense that people are reporting increased issues with their sleep habits, having more vivid dreams, having less restful sleep and experiencing more insomnia during the past couple of months.

People usually struggle with their sleep habits. According to Donn Posner, president of Sleepwell Associates, an adjunct clinical associate professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, about 35 per cent of people struggle with recurring bouts of insomnia. Now that people are coping with potential dangers posed to their health with COVID-19, the economy and social distancing pressures, the world’s current situation is a perfect recipe for sleep disorders.

When it comes to health workers, recent statistics show that the pandemic has affected both their sleep and health dramatically. A survey conducted by Sleep Standards found that, on average, healthcare workers are sleeping five hours a night. Forty-one per cent of those polled are experiencing insomnia, 27 per cent are dealing with nightmares, and only 21 per cent report no sleep issues.

Could cannabis help manage these symptoms of insomnia? Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that it could.

A recent study from the University of Western Australia found that cannabis could provide an effective treatment for those who suffer from acute insomnia, specifically when the type of weed consumed is made up of a blend of THC and CBD. Patients treated with this kind of cannabis reported sleeping for more hours, falling asleep more quickly and getting back to sleep with more ease after waking up in the middle of the night.

A survey of more than 1,000 people with multiple sclerosis has found extensive use of complementary and alternative medicine – including the use of cannabis.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University conducted the survey of MS patients in Oregon and Southwest Washington in 2018, with the results published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

Around 30% reported they had used cannabis in a variety of forms and of those people, close to 71% found it “very beneficial”.

The survey followed up on a similar study back in 2001 in the same regions. Other key findings:

Lead author of the study, Elizabeth Silbermann, M.D., said more research is needed so neurologists can discuss with patients what does and doesn’t work. Dr. Silbermann recognised the change in patient-doctor dynamics that will make this possible.

A new study found that higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Researchers recently discovered that a low flavonoid intake was associated with Alzheimer’s risk, meaning a diet lacking berries, apples, tea, and other flavonoid rich foods could hold one of the keys to the disease.

The April 2020 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found, “higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in U.S. adults.” The study does not provide an immediate connection between the two but rather showcases an association. 

According to Oregon State University, “Evidence suggesting that some flavonoids or flavonoid-rich foods may enhance cognitive function is currently limited, and it is not yet known whether their consumption could lower the risk of cognitive impairments and dementia in humans.” The University also stated that certain flavonoids have been shown to, “cross the blood-brain barrier and exert preventive effects towards cognitive impairments in animal models of normal and pathological aging.” Not only helpful for cardiovascular health, flavonoids are being investigated for their effect on the body all over the world.

A 2019 piece published in Nature Communications also found that foods rich in flavonoids could decrease the risk of cancer. Flavonoid rich foods include apples, berries, cocoa-based products, red grapes, and red wine and tea.

A lot of athletes take weed. Far more than you know. But when you read that an athlete was suspended for failing a drug test on the news, it is easy to assume that all drugs are bad. To clear the air, two major drugs used by athletes are opioids and cannabis. 

While there are tons of studies that loudly proclaim the negative effects of these drugs, there are just as many that talk about the benefits of cannabis. Pot not only has recreational benefits, but it also has medicinal benefits. 

As a matter of fact, the marijuana industry has grown so much that companies that are involved in marijuana and its derivatives are popping up all around. These companies even have public stocks with tradable shares.

The ban on cannabis for recreational and medicinal use has been lifted in about 8 states in the United States, while some have lifted the ban on medicinal uses of the drug alone. 

In Canada, you can take your weed without fear of getting caught because it is completely legal. But the use of cannabis by athletes has been under a heavy cloud of debate for a long time. 

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, one of the most vocal champions of marijuana legalization in the United States who promoted his advocacy in both best-selling books and Congressional testimony, died on Thursday. He was 92. 

A native of Massachusetts, Grinspoon studied at Harvard Medical School, and later joined the faculty there as a professor. His interest in cannabis began in the 1960s, when he said its use in the U.S. “increased explosively.”

“At that time I had no doubt that it was a very harmful drug that was unfortunately being used by more and more foolish young people who would not listen to or could not believe or understand the warnings about its dangers,” he later wrote.

Grinspoon said his “aim was to define scientifically the nature and degree of those dangers,” but he ultimately discovered that his perception of marijuana had long been off the mark.

“I came to understand that I, like so many other people in this country, had been misinformed and misled,” Grinspoon said. “There was little empirical evidence to support my beliefs about the dangers of marihuana.”

Despite the fact that we have made dozens of medical advancements in the last few hundred years and we can solve so many of our health issues and cure so many of the illnesses that used to mean unavoidable death for humans, we still haven’t cracked hair loss.

And it’s not for lack of trying. There are many ways to give the illusion that you’re not suffering from hair loss and, as we’ll be discussing below, there are of course some methods of slowing it down and some which seem to stop it entirely in select cases, but there is no bonafide cure.

If you start losing your hair, you are more than likely just going to have to accept that fact, like so many others have done before. Because the truth is, it’s really not something that will inhibit your life all that much.

Yes it is a bit of a blow to self-esteem. For men, most of whom will probably go bald at some point in their lives, losing your hair is considered a sign that you are getting old, despite the fact that it can happen at any age.

Some men start to go bald as early as in their 20s and there are even some unfortunate few out there who will lose their hair even earlier than that, as teenagers. It’s rare but it has been known to happen. 

Fireworks can trigger a dog’s nervous system, quickly overwhelming their senses. Here’s what we know about CBD and your furry BFF.

People have been noticing a lot of fireworks lately. Maybe it’s due to the fact that we spend most of our time bored indoors, that cities are quieter than usual, or that people just don’t care anymore.

According to the New York Times, there are lots of conspiracy theories floating around regarding the origins of these nightly airshows: “The flood of illegal fireworks, heard in nightly booms, bangs and fizzles across the city and the country, has intensified to such a degree that some people are desperately seeking explanations for the chaos, with many suggesting government complicity.”

One thing is certain: Dogs don’t care about your junk theories.

Fourth of July is fast approaching, so we have to be prepared. Here’s where CBD might come in handy.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we’ve heard a lot about resetting the economy and the need to focus on sunrise, not sunset, industries. At the same time, during the Alert Level 4 lockdown in April, the Ministry of Health pushed play on New Zealand’s Medicinal Cannabis Scheme.

The regulations are now in effect, enabling local commercial cultivation of cannabis and the manufacturing of THC and CBD products. New Zealand GPs can now apply their professional discretion to prescribe medicinal cannabis.

Estimated to reach $55 billion by 2025, the medicinal cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing in the world.

In New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment forecasts a strong market opportunity in the next 10 years. The pharmaceutical cannabis segment is expected to reach $320 million - $50m from within New Zealand and $250m in export sales. The broader cannabis health product segment could represent a $1b market opportunity per annum.

Medicinal cannabis reforms took effect in Australia in 2016, with its success hindered by higher hurdles for patient access. But, in recent months, its government has awoken to the potential of medicinal cannabis to lift GDP and aid Australia’s economic recovery.

Medicinal cannabis as a treatment for acute illnesses and ailments such as chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, liver disease and cancer is still in its infancy, but already the prospects for this emerging scientific field look promising.

As a sector, the global cannabis extract market is expected to be worth $23.7 billion by 2025, thanks to legislation becoming more relaxed in major economies around the world, the rising popularity of “lifestyle” CBD products, and increased public and medical awareness around cannabis’ therapeutic powers.

However, like traditional medicine, cannabis-based treatments can be potentially life-threatening if a child accidentally ingests concentrated doses.

In this article, Rich Quelch, global head of marketing at Origin, a designer and manufacturer of pharmaceutical packaging, looks at the role that packaging is currently playing in the field of medicinal cannabis to keep young children safe.

The first line of defence

Medical cannabis dispensaries can begin delivering products to their patients at home, a long-awaited move that intends to ease patient access and allow them to stay away from dispensaries to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday it has issued a waiver that allows for home delivery.

“The Department continues to prioritize patient access during this unprecedented pandemic,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. “This new waiver will allow [alternative treatment centers], once they have submitted a plan to the Department for approval, to deliver across the state.”

Jake Honig’s Law, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed last summer to expand the state’s medical marijuana program, included provisions for home delivery. But the service never launched.

But when hours-long lines backed up dispensaries in March, the program began to talk about ways it could better serve patients — many of whom have pre-existing conditions that make them vulnerable — in the midst of a public health crisis.

Researchers believe they’ve uncovered another antibiotic element that cannabis offers, creating an additional tool in the weapon against healthcare associated infections.

“An interdisciplinary team of McMaster researchers found that the chemical compound, or cannabinoid, called cannabigerol (CBG) is not only antibacterial but also effective in mice against a resilient family of bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).” — McMaster University

Could cannabis have a hand in treating Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections? Researchers at McMaster University believe they’ve uncovered another antibiotic element that cannabis offers, creating an additional tool in the weapon against the rise of healthcare associated infections (HAIs), which are costing hospitals and clinics billions of dollars.

Looking at 18 commercially-available cannabinoids, the team identified a “non-psychoactive cannabinoid” called CBG, which offered the most promise. After synthetizing and recreating the element in mass quantities to study, the research team “found that CBG had antibacterial activity against drug-resistant MRSA,” targeting the cell’s membrane and eliminating the bacteria.

Study lead Eric Brown, Professor of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, says: